Equity in Carbon County, Utah

What does it mean for conditions to be equitable? Equity is about just and fair inclusion into a society in which all have a fair chance to participate, prosper, and reach their full potential (Policy Link). It means that people are not held back from reaching their potential because of social conditions, systems, and policies that make it difficult to live good lives. Racism, poverty, living in certain neighborhoods, gender, and stigma all can lead to poor well-being outcomes. Communities that are equitable strive to put into place the social conditions, systems, and policies that address these harms in order to allow everyone to contribute to their full potential and help the whole community to flourish.

INCOME INEQUALITY

How does the Gini Index vary in Carbon County, Utah?

What this measures: The Gini Index of Income Inequality, also called the Gini Coefficient, presents income inequality as a scale from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (the most extreme inequality). In a location with a Gini coefficient of 0, every household would have the exact same income. In a place with a coefficient of 1, a single household would own all of the wealth, and everyone else would have nothing.

Why this matters: Income inequality within US communities can have wide health effects. These effects include higher risk of death and poor health. Communities with higher income inequality can also experience a loss of connectedness from one another.